Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-05-13
Mts".atet to a sran Of Genius.

Mts"''teet to Man of Genius.
The lady who was left?"
said this inquiringly and doubt
fully.
20, no" replied my friend, at said
tho lady on his left. She is his WIFE"
1t was at the theater. We had been
discussing a famous man of genius who
occupied conspicuous seat, and I he'd
asked about his wife. When the lady
was pointed out to me I suddenly lost
all interest in the husband.
"Ha! ha!' laughed my companion.
Your mistake was good one."
"What mistaken"
why, your Characterization of Mrs.
" as the lady who was left. I don't
think she would like it much"
said nothing, and glanced again at
the sweet-faced woman who looked SO
lonely in the midst of that light hearted
crowd. The husband was not lonely.
He had everything lie wanted except a
mirror. Not having one, he posed with
due regard for spectacular effect, and
was happy. The expression on his
face seemed to say: II know it is try.
ing to the complexion, this fierce white
light that beats upon the throne, but
I've got to stand it. 1t is one of the
penalties of greatness" He never
looked at the woman with the tender,
luminous eyes-by his side. He did not
see that, like some fair and fragile
flower, she seemed to wilt under the
fierce white light. Perhaps he did not
care.
Eyes" I said to myself, "she is the
lady who was left"
The play went on, and whenever
there was telling hit the spectators
looked at the strangely brilliant man
who was among them but not of them.
Watching the lights and shadows Of
that mobile, magnetic face they ap-
plauded or relapsed into stolid indiffer.
ence, running the entire gamut of ex-
preston. But nobody looked at the
quiet lady who shuddered under every
shock or sound, and seemed to shrink
from every fresh impulse of glare.
After that night at the theater saw
my lady who was left many times and
in many places. It would not be said
that her husband condemned her to
seclusion. On the contrary lie took her
everywhere. If he was lavish in the
manner of his own personal adornment,
he urged his wife to deny herself moth.
ing. If it delighted him to pose as the
central figure in field of cloth of gold
stiff with gorgeous embroidery, he was
determined that his wife should not
lack for Tyrian purple, SO to speak, and
diamonds that would have graced q
coronet Why shouldn't she be happy
woman? Her costumes We're ex.
trayagantly compared to symphonies
and poems.
| But she is not happy. In the midst
of all the excitement accompanying the
spectacular pageantry of her husbands
life she knew that she was left. Why
indulge in any nonsense about her fail
ure to grow with her husband and keen
pace with him Intellectually It would
be stupidity, brutaily false to say such
a thing. She was born to be the queen
Of an ideal home and to hold solely
sovereign sway over one heart. But
her husband had divided his affections
between her and the many headed
monster thing called the public, and
their home life had been turned into q
gilded trmult.
l still see these two on public occa-
sions. A Shadows beginning to darken
the husbands face He feels that life
is growing stale and fiat. just why,
he cannot tell. He knows that it is not
the fault OF his loyal wife, but there is
something wrong somewhere. Perhaps
there is just the suspicion of shadow
on the fair face of the lady who was
left. It suggests sorrow in which self
plays no part. The feeting years carry
her in the direction of nobler, higher
life, and she feels that she is travelling
the road alone. I have ceased to study
these two faces. The lady who was
left is getting beyond me. Icannot say
much for her husband. He is still in
sight, and likely to remain there
atlanta Constitution.